I read The Hobbit when I was 13-14 years old and loved it. I also had a "book & record" set of The Hobbit which was great . It wasn't until I had obsessed over PJ's movies and the documentary footage in the extended cut extras that I developed a knowledge and understanding of the depth of Tolkien's influence. Since then, I have devoured The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and look forward to exploring many more Tolkien books.